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NPL Site Narrative for C & R Battery Co., Inc.
C & R BATTERY CO., INC.
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Federal Register Notice: July 22, 1987Conditions at proposal (January 22, 1987): C & R Battery Co., Inc., occupies an approximately 4-acre site located 600 feet from the James River in an industrial area of Chesterfield County, Virginia. Between approximately 1969 and 1985, the company recovered lead and lead oxide from old automobile and truck batteries.
In 1982, the company detected high lead levels in an on-site monitoring well, in soils to a depth of 2 feet, and in drainage ditches leading to the James River.
Portions of the James River within 3 miles downstream of the site are used for recreation and designated as wetlands by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. An estimated 1,200 people draw drinking water from private wells that tap the contaminated aquifer within 3 miles of the site. The nearest well is about 1,250 feet from the site.
The Commonwealth of Virginia took the first of numerous enforcement actions at the site on March 28, 1979. The Water Control Board issued an Administrative Order requiring a cleanup plan. The latest action was on December 3, 1984, when Virginia issued a court order requiring a cleanup plan, construction of a treatment plant, and reclamation of the site.
The Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also had extensive involvement with C & R Battery. During its first inspection in 1983, numerous violations of current OSHA standards were noted. Monitoring of the breathing zone at several work stations indicated lead well above the lead standard. In addition, some company employees were found to have elevated levels of lead in their blood. In 1985, Chesterfield County enjoined C & R Battery from further operation due to OSHA violations.
Using CERCLA removal funds, EPA took emergency action at the site in July 1986. Soils and pools on the site were limed to reduce acidity, some contaminated soils were excavated and stored pending final disposal, drainage controls were installed, and the site was graded, capped, and partially fenced.
Status (July 22, 1987): EPA is considering various alternatives for the site.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.